From Amos ‘n’ Andy and The Cosby Show, to Abbott Elementary, SHIFTER’s Kevin Bourne takes a look at Black sitcoms from the 1950’s to 2020’s. Black sitcoms have given us some of the most iconic characters in the history of television, including TV moms and dads. They’ve also produced a number of stars who went on to become household names. These shows reflected the everyday lives of Black people, sometimes even playing into cliches and stereotypes, and in some cases, represented our aspirations for a better life. Airing in 1951, Amos ‘n’ Andy is credited with being the first Black…
Author: Kevin Bourne
Kevin Bourne
Kevin Bourne, also known as "KB The Boss" or simply "KB", is a Toronto-based host/on-air personality, arts & entertainment journalist, TV/film producer, and communications and content strategist. As a commentator and freelancer, he has appeared nationally as a correspondent on CBC News Network and host on CBC Music. He has also appeared locally on CTV, CBC Radio, CityNews, Newstalk 1010, and ByBlacks.com, and in the United States on Fox’s Black digital TV network, Fox Soul. He has covered some of Canada’s top red-carpet events, from the Toronto International Film Festival to the Canadian Screen Awards, and has interviewed everyone from Kevin Hart and "Fast and the Furious" star Tyrese Gibson to Ziggy Marley, Ava DuVernay, Dascha Polanco, Lilly Singh, and Howie Mandel. His years of work as an entertainment journalist led to him being named a Golden Globe® Awards voter and Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-Approved critic and being quoted as a critic in national ad campaigns for Black films and TV shows, both in Canada and the United States. Pivoting into the world of film and television, Kevin co-founded the film, TV, digital content, and live experiences company, SHIFTER Entertainment, alongside his wife and business partner, Koliah. Through SHIFTER he has produced a number of projects, including the Bell Fibe TV1 unscripted reality series A Date In The Life, serving as showrunner, executive producer, writer and co-director. Now, with a number of pilot and feature film scripts written and projects in development, KB is poised to continue to be a champion for Black entertainment and culture alongside his wife and business partner, Koliah.
Robin returns and Andi finally comes clean with her sisters. Here’s our recap of Tyler Perry’s Sistas Season 8 Episode 3. The “Who stabbed Gary?” story is heating up with everyone being a suspect. Again, there’s still no sign of Maurice, which is a good thing. He adds very little value to the show. Maybe he stabbed Gary (no, I’m not serious). So without delay, let’s get into what went down on Tyler Perry’s Sistas Season 8 Episode 3. Robin has left the building The sistas come over to Andi’s apartment to find Robin, aka “the Ghost of Negroes Past”…
Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 launches at an exclusive event by Xbox at the size? sneaker shop and SHIFTER was there. Here’s a closer look. Last night, Xbox and size? hosted an exclusive Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 launch party in downtown Toronto. ahead of its October 25th release. Hosted at the size? sneaker shop on Queen Street West, the event saw passionate gamers gather to get an early peak at the latest installment in the military first person shooter game franchise. The night also featured drinks, including the event sponsor, Modelo, and a draw for some Call…
From music to film & TV, Canada’s Black talent drain shows no signs of stopping says SHIFTER’s Kevin Bourne. In recent years, Canada has seen an increase in the number of Black filmmakers and producers bringing films and TV shows to screen. The 2024 edition of TIFF screened 40 Acres and Village Keeper by RT Thorne and Karen Chapman who showed the kind of brilliant storytelling Black Canadian filmmakers are capable of. Directors like Dawn Wilkinson, Sharon Lewis and Sudz Sutherland have been directing episodes of major American TV series. Amanda Parris also created a Canadian Screen Awards-winning series for…
The investigation into Gary’s stabbing continues and Zatima are on the case. Here’s our recap of Tyler Perry’s Sistas Season 8 Episode 2. The “Who stabbed Gary?” storyline continues, and if previous seasons are any indication, we may not find out until well after the mid-season break. This episode was a bit predictable, simply building on the stories from the premiere without introducing anything new. But it’s still early in the season. Fortunately, there’s still no sign of Maurice, which is a good thing. He’s too extra and went from being one of the more popular characters to the most…
The FBI are investigating Gary’s murder as the whole crew are questioned. Here’s our recap of Tyler Perry’s Sistas Season 8 Episode 1. After a somewhat brief hiatus, Tyler Perry’s Sistas is back with a whole new season of over-the-top drama. Season seven ended with Gary lying in his own blood as the victim of a stabbing as his own wedding, setting us up for a season of “Who killed Gary?” The season also ended with Rich storming into the sperm donor clinic after changing his mind about being Sabrina’s sperm donor. So without delay, let’s get into the drama…
In this Village Keeper film review, Kevin Bourne says Karen Chapman’s dramatic feature debut is “a celebration of and journey towards Black healing”. It’s both the best of times and the worst of times for Black film and television in Canada. Award-winning Black TV shows are being cancelled, but at the same time, there’s a growing crop of independent Black producers and filmmakers sprouting up across the country who are doing great work. This year’s Toronto International Film Festival featured two filmmakers who should give you optimism about Black filmmaking in Canada. There’s R.T. Thorne with 40 Acres which has generated…
In his The Fire Inside film review, Kevin Bourne says it is “an almost two-hour pep talk about the power of hard work and determination.” 2024 is the year for sports movies at the Toronto International Film Festival. We have Rez Ball about a Navajo Nation high school basketball team who face tragedy and loss on their way to the national championship. We have the wrestling film Unstoppable about a real life NCAA wrestler who must overcome being born with one leg along his journey to national champion. Then there’s The Fire Inside, a biopic about the meteoric rise of Olympic…
In his Rez Ball film review, Kevin Bourne says it is “simply a highly inspirational story about brotherhood, community, and the love of the game” 2024 is the year for sports movies at the Toronto International Film Festival, including the wrestling film Unstoppable and the boxing film The Fire Inside. Another addition to the list of sports offerings at TIFF 24 is the Lebron James and Springhill Company produced film Rez Ball. But where the other sports films are biopics focusing on Black athletes, one having a disability, Rez Ball is a fictitious story featuring Native Americans, a group we don’t see…
R.T. Thorne’s latest is “a film we should be proud of” and “a big step forward for Canadian cinema” says Kevin Bourne in his 40 Acres film review. Although Hollywood is full of Canadians who have become well-known filmmakers and box office stars, Toronto and Vancouver have become desirable places to shoot big Hollywood films, and Canada offers competitive tax credits and grants, it hasn’t yet translated into a thriving filmmaking scene here in Canada; at least when it comes to star-making and mainstream success. This is especially true for Black filmmakers and producers, who often complain about their inability…
Jacques Audiard’s latest is an “award-worthy masterpiece” and “one of the best films of the year” Kevin Bourne says in his Emilia Pérez film review. One of the films you should be hearing more about this award season is Emilia Pérez which recently screened at the Toronto International Film Festival. Starring Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón, and Selena Gomez, and directed by Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez is about a Mexico City defense lawyer named Rita Moro Castro (Saldaña) whose life is turned upside down when a feared cartel boss named Manitas Del Monte (Gascón) looks to hire her (and pay her…
Though hard to watch at times for its depictions of Black pain and trauma, Mike Leigh’s latest is still a film to watch and be proud of says Kevin Bourne in his Hard Truths film review. Another Black film that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival is Hard Truths, the latest film from award-winning, Oscar-nominated English writer and filmmaker, Mike Leigh. Starring Oscar and Golden Globe nominated actor Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Michele Austin, David Webber, and Tuwaine Barrett, the film is centered around Pansy (Jean-Baptiste), a sharp-tongued middle-aged British Black woman, who seems to find misery everywhere she goes, including…
